What happens is there are answers to life’s
problems. And, what Pastors have to be ready to do is to answer the kinds of
questions that fall within their territory. They’ve got to be able to do that.
There are some things that people never ask us, nor should. No one comes to me
because they think I’m a banker, nobody comes to me and asks me how to fix
their car. There are things I can talk about, but one thing is for sure, when
it comes down to spiritual matters, when it comes down to theological things
and biblical things, Pastors simply have to be able to give an answer. That’s
our job! And one thing that frustrates
me today is that so many of my colleagues, not all, but many of them, do not
give biblical answers to biblical questions. They just kind of answer off the
top of their head, or as the spirit leads them so to
speak. When I get questions from people immediately I grab a Bible. I want to
answer them from the Word of God. That’s really what they’re looking for. Not
just some pat answer, not just something that you feel, but something that is
from the highest authoritative source you can have, which is the Bible. Preach
the Word. Isn’t that what it says? That’s what we ought to do, and we also
should answer questions from the Word of God.

Here’s a question that is one that ministers,
Pastors always get asked. And it must be answered very, very carefully. A wrong
answer to this question can open up some real bad doors in your church, doors
that can lead to other things that could be disastrous for your ministry.Because, there are certain things that the
Bible tells us we can do, and of course there are certain things that the Bible
tells us we cannot. I find that a lot of Ministers, some Pastors take courses
in biblical counseling which is great. It’s good to learn all about counseling
cause definitely Pastors do a lot of it. I know. Every week I’m dealing with
counseling and love it. It’s part of the job. However, knowledge of Biblical
counseling alone is no good unless also you understand theology: Biblical theology, systematic theology. That’s
right! There is no counseling we give that escapes the teachings of the Bible
and the doctrines of the Bible, who Jesus is, what happens after you die, the
resurrection. All of these things are important. So, systematic theology, the
general training that a Pastor gets has to be what informs their biblical
counseling practice. That’s the only way you will be able to satisfactorily
answer this question that I’m about to present to you now.

Here’s the question, not given to me, written to
someone else actually. And I’m reading from this source that I have here. This
person was grieving and asked this question:

My
mother died recently after a long illness. I went to see her every day at the
nursing home and I’m dealing with this grieving process now. I know her soul is
with Jesus. I want to knowif it is a sin for me to talk to her? I find as I’m going through
her things, I will say things to her like; gee mom, thanks for saving this or
that. I remember the good times that we had then. Or, when I visit the grave I
might say, hello mom. I brought your favorite flowers. I miss you a lot. It’s a
pretty day today. Or Sissy says, (I guess that’s the name of a sister or
someone),Sissy
says she will come to see your grave this summer. You know how she is. Now, I
don’t expect an answer and I’m not trying to conjure up some kind of weird
sighting of her, or anything like that.But, am I sinning to talk to her? I know the Bible says for us not to
try and communicate with the dead.I’m
not trying to make her appear of anything, its just that I miss talking to her. I would never do
a séance or any of that weird stuff. But, is it ok for me to talk to her or is
that a sin? Should I just be talking to the Lord about her and stop talking to
her? I don’t do it every day, just every once in a while, when I’m feeling very
sad. Thank you for your answer.

BIBLE
TOPIC QUESTIONS:

Now what I’m wondering is, what answer should this
person get? Is it ok to talk to our departed loved ones? And, very importantly,
does the Bible say we can or should talk to the dead?As a Pastor how do you answer this? As a
Christian how do you answer this? I’m not interested here, necessarily in your
personal experiences, because if your personal experiences do not stand up to
the test of the Bible then you’re in trouble.What does the Bible say? Does the Bible say we can and should talk to
the dead?What would your answer be to
this person’s question?

Calling all Pastors! This is definitely a question
that Pastors need to be able to grapple with. It is something that will occur
if it hasn’t already occurred in your ministry. Is it ok to talk to our
departed loved ones? Does the Bible say we can and should talk to the dead?
What do you think about this particular question and this particular challenge
today?

Callers’
responses:

Somewhere
in I Samuel I think Samuel, they made a law which outlawed people from
conjuring up spirits or people from the dead, and I think he still did anyway.

Deuteronomy
18:
10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the
fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in
witchcraft,11 or casts spells, or who
is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

1
Samuel 15: 23 For rebellion is like
the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you
have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

He
disguised himself or had someone disguise themselves to call a prophet back up
to speak with him about David. So, I would assume that no, we’re not supposed
to do that. But can speak to them in remembrance,
I think that is a difference.

Pastor
Moss: You’re talking about I Samuel 28 where Saul who is
seeking for Samuel to come back and talk to him. He goes to a medium to do so
and Samuel appears.

I
Samuel 28: 8 So Saul disguised himself,
putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman.
“Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”9 But the woman said to him, “Surely you know
what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists
from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my
death?”10 Saul swore to her by the
Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”11 Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up
for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said.12
When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to
Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman
said, “I see a spirit coming up out of the ground.”14 “What does he look like?” he asked. “An
old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel,
and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you
disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The
Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no
longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to
tell me what to do.”16 Samuel said,
“Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and become
your enemy?

Undoubtedly, God allows this to happen, but, you’re
right when you say they passed a law that it shouldn’t be done, that no one
should be calling on the dead. Who are the them that
you’re talking about? Was this from man or was this from God?Are you saying that there is somewhere in the
Bible that forbids us from talking to the dead?

I
can’t confirm or deny.

Exodus
22:18
“Do not allow a sorceress to live.

Leviticus
19:31
“‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for
you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus
20:27
“‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among
you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their
own heads.’”

Callers’
responses:

The
bible says there is no conscience after we die.

Pastor
Moss: What about the scripture that says to be absent
from the body is to be present with the Lord?

2Corinthians
5:8
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to
be present with the Lord.

Pastor
Moss: What about Luke 16 starting at verse 22? (Pastor
reads the account of the beggar and the rich man).Is there any place in the Bible where we are
forbidden to talk to the dead?

Luke
16:
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s
side. The rich man also died and was buried.23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far
away, with Lazarus by his side.24 So he
called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip
of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your
good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here
and you are in agony.26 And besides all
this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want
to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

How does that line up with what you said about there
is no conscience after we die? I know it says that in Ecclesiastes 9:3-5,10, but what is that talking about in light of this
Scripture?

Unfortunately
we can’t say who has the abilities to do that (talk to the dead).

Callers’
responses:

I’m going to say no to that question and it’s found
in Deuteronomy 18 verses 10-12.

Pastor
reads the passages. So you’re saying this forbids what?

Caller
reads verse 12.

Pastor
Moss: So you’re right. Verse 11 the charmers, the
consulter with familiar spirits, those are mediums. And what the mediums would
do is conjure up the dead for you. That
is something forbidden by God. So that’s a good scripture, but if that is
so could you explain this passage to me?Over in Matthew, remember the transfiguration on the mount,(reads Matthew 17
starting at verse 1) Now, we know Elijah, he didn’t die, he was caught up in a
fiery chariot, but, Moses was dead.If
you are not supposed to talk to the dead what is Jesus doing talking to him?

Matthew
17:1
And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and
John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high
mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as
the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

We
can’t do it but Jesus can do what he wants to do. God is not limited. All power
and authority was given to the Son by the Father.

Callers’
responses:

Exodus
22:18 (caller reads passage) Not only did Saul disobey the laws that say you
shouldn’t conjure up the dead or talk to the dead, but it says specifically in
the judgmentset forth that thou shall
not suffer a witch to live. This is a person that has a familiar spirit over in
I Samuel, she’s also called a witch. Now, to answer your other question, where
does it say that Saul punitive damages for what he did? Let’s go to I Samuel 28:18 (caller reads passage) Now this is all
because of what he did with the witch in conjuring up Samuel.

Pastor
Moss: But where in that passage does it specifically say
that the reason that judgment came was because he went to consult the witch of Endor?The passage
in Samuel doesn’t say that he died because he went to the witch of Endor or got counsel outside of God. Is there any scripture
more specific than that, which says he died because he consulted her?

I’ve
not found that.

Callers’
responses:

If
people do talk with the dead or they come to you has a door been open?

Pastor
Moss:Would a door
just be open or would someone have to open that door? If a person is talking to
the dead a door has to be open? How would that door be open and who would open
that door becomes the question. What do you think?

I
think the person they’re coming to have some sort of spirit or are anointed.
God has anointed the person for the dead to come to them.

Pastor
Moss:So you’re
telling me that the dead can just come like they want to? And then if they come
back where are they coming from?Hell or
heaven?

Hummm, I
don’t know, I don’t think they can come back.

Callers’
responses:

I
want to say in I Samuel 28:18 the reason Saul was
killed was because he disobeyed God by not killing all the amalekites.
Then when you go to the 1st chapter of Samuel it speaks of the
person even though he died on his sword there was a person who helped kill him
and that’s in the first chapter of Samuel.

Pastor
Moss:So you’re
saying that there is no place in the bible where it says that the reason Saul
died is because he consulted the witch of Endor?

Right. That was not the reason.

Callers’
responses:

What
comes to my mind is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and if you go to
the 27th verse he says, I pray thee therefore father that thou would
send him to my father’s house, talking about Lazarus, for I have 5 brothers
that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham said unto him, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. And
he said, Nay father Abraham but if one went unto them
from the dead they will repent. And then he says in verse 31, and he said unto
him, if they heed not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded
through the one rose from the dead.So I
take from that that we’re not supposed to listen to the dead spirits or
familiar spirits at all.

Pastor
Moss: Well I think you gave a good answer, especially in verse
26 remember where it says, and besides all this between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from
hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence. So
it says also that seemingly there is a barrier, that the dead don’t come back
and the living don’t go to where they are under their own will. So I would say
that that’s a good answer.

Callers’
responses:

I’m
calling just on the part where you said is there some place in the bible that
says that Saul was killed for consulting a medium. I Chronicles 10 (caller
reads passage).

I Chronicles 10 13 So
Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even
against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of
one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

Pastor
Moss: Well that’s exactly right; that’s’ the one I’m
looking for. So specifically the bible does say in I Chronicles 10 that the
reason why he died was because he consulted that medium. Now there were other
things that he did as well, but that was also included as one of the reasons
why he died.

Pastor
Moss
Summation: The answer is no we should not try to talk with
the dead.

1.God
Forbids it. It gets you off into dealing with the occult, sorcery, and witchcraft
which God forbids as well.

2.In
Luke chapter 16 it seems to be pretty clear where it says concerning this life
and the afterlife. Where Lazarus goes into Abraham boson (heavenwe believe), and the rich man ends up
in Hades. The rich man wants some things done. What he asks for is that Lazarus
could return from the dead and go and preach to his brothers. But there is
something that is said (26 verse) here: 26 And besides all this, between us
and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to
you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’Let us say that there is a supernatural
barrier. People don’t just come back from the dead. God of course for his
purposes can allow anything to happen because his sovereign, but definitely we
don’t see anything in the Bible where people are communicating with their dead
love ones.

We’d like to suggest you take Pastor Moss class “Kingdom of the Occults.” Come learn the
Biblical responses on this and other topics. Find out who is really taking, it
sure isn’t aunt Sally!